Savannah Schemenauer

Responsibilities

During my internship, which I am currently working on through the end of the Fall 2022 semester, I assisted with the research and development of a maternity wear company, MUQIN LLC., founded by ISU faculty member Dr. Ling Zhang with the support of the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. I got to experience both the business side of company development and the creative design side during my research. In addition to arranging and attending meetings, some of my responsibilities included organizing textile samples, conducting market research for various maternity garments, representing the company at events, and designing and developing original garments.

Accomplishments

My work during my internship culminated in the company's development and eventual launch, which was my greatest accomplishment. As my internship progressed, I watched how all of my work fell into place and supported the furtherance of the company. I am proud that my designs and ideas have been used and that I could also provide new ideas on previous designs to improve the experience for the wearer.

Learning experience

I learned a lot about starting a company, most importantly that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Before my internship, I had little knowledge of the inner workings of the business side of the fashion industry, but now I feel confident that I could successfully launch my own company, or something similar, in the future. This opportunity has opened new doors for me that, just weeks before starting, I had not thought were possible.

What advice would you give?

I have two pieces of advice. First, look for opportunities in unexpected places! I utilized all of the more common job and internship sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to find opportunities and had very little luck finding something that really resonated with me. I heard about my internship through an announcement made by a faculty member at Iowa State and jumped at the chance to apply because I knew this was an experience I wouldn't find anywhere else. Second, don't count yourself out. If you go into your interview or your first day thinking you're going to fail, you won't be as confident in yourself. It's all about your mindset and attitude; if you decide to make the most of every opportunity and give it your all, it'll pay off.